Summer holiday ideas

The perfect summer holidays involve a mixture of activities and laziness. We’ve collected together a huge range of activities you might want to try; we’ll leave the laziness up to you.

Head for the beach – even if you’re in the city

The real beach is always best and wherever you live in the UK you should be able to reach a beach on a day trip. Many of them have special events over the summer – regattas, carnivals, themed festivals. Check your local newspaper/news website and find out more about travelling round the UK on our pages here.

Set yourself a Summer reading challenge

Rediscover the joy of reading for your own pleasure, away from the demands of school or college work. You may be too old now for the libraries’ annual Summer Reading Challenge but you can still use your local library – and perhaps even set yourself your own challenge? You could perhaps aim to read:

see a film in the open air

Open-air cinema used to be something that only happened abroad, but more and more UK places are taking a chance on the summer weather and showing films outside. Normally these are older films and classics rather than new releases, but there’s something very magical about an outdoor performance. Even better, some are free!

experience a Summer concert or festival

Check out your local newspaper or news site for concerts, events and festivals near you – be prepared to give everything a go!

The two big summer festivals are the Edinburgh Fringe – find details here – and the London proms – details here. Do check them out if you’re in or near Edinburgh or London over the summer. They both offer a huge range of events, and a very special atmosphere – and there are bargains to be had.

Not so many bargains at music festival weekends, but if you have the money you could perhaps try Wilderness in Oxfordshire (3-6 August), Boardmasters in Cornwall (9-13 August), V Festival in Essex (19-20 August). Don’t forget to check the age restrictions and advice on what to bring.

Go on an adventure holiday

The YHA offers adventure holidays in some of the most beautiful parts of Britain, giving you the chance to try new activities in a friendly, supportive environment – check them out here. Some are already booked out, but there are still some places available: £379 for five nights/four days of non-stop action, all accommodation and meals included; some bursaries available.

Enrol on a summer school or course

There are summer schools and courses all around the country on all sorts of subjects. Some are very expensive but these are worth a look:

science and engineering workshops at the Royal Institute in London, throughout July and August – many are already sold out, but have a look to see what’s still available here

FREE residential cyber courses around the country run by the National Cyber Security Centre (part of GCHQ) – again, many are fully booked but you might be able to find something that suits you here

FREE portraiture taster sessions and 3 day workshops at the National Portrait Gallery in London for 14-21 year olds – see here

FREE swim safe courses around the country for 7-14 year olds – learning how to swim safely outdoors, run by Swim England and the RNLI. You can also volunteer to help at these courses if you’re 18 – or if you’re 16 or 17 and accompanied by an adult. Find more details here